District of Columbia
As D.C. upholds tipped wage law, LGBTQ bar charts its own path
Spark Social rethinks its pay strategy as lawmakers block controversial I-82 plan
Last week, the D.C. Council considered removing one of the most contentious ballot initiatives in D.C. government’s history — but for now, it stays.
In a 7-5 vote, an amendment to the D.C. budget — proposed by Ward 4 Council member Janeese Lewis George — ended the repeal of Initiative 82, keeping the incrementally rising tipped wage in the District.
In November 2022, D.C. residents overwhelmingly — at 73.94% — voted for the “District of Columbia Tip Credit Elimination Act of 2021” ballot measure (a.k.a. Initiative 82), which would slowly phase out the tipped wage in the District.
This act had a goal to increase the wages of everyone working in the District, promote wage fairness, and reduce wage theft by gradually raising the tipped minimum wage over five years. From restaurant owners’ perspectives, though, the act is doing more harm than good.
In many parts of the United States, people who earn a “tipped wage” are paid less than the minimum wage — with the expectation that the tips they earn on shift will make up the difference and ideally push them above the minimum. These tipped wages vary by state (or district), but are often significantly lower than the minimum wage.
In 2021, when this act was proposed, tipped workers made $5.05 per hour plus tips, while minimum wage workers earned $15.20 an hour. The ballot initiative passed with the hope that it would uplift those working in the service industry.
Since the initiative passed, there have been small increases to the tipped minimum wage in D.C. — rising to $6 in May 2023, $8 in July 2023, and then $10 in July 2024. Another $2 increase was scheduled for this July, but on June 3, the D.C. Council passed emergency legislation to pause the jump for 90 days.
Since the pause, there’s been pushback from both sides of the initiative picket line.
Supporters of Initiative 82 argue the measure prevents wage theft and ensures adequate income, especially as inflation and the cost of living continue to rise.
Opponents — most notably the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) — claim the initiative will prompt “44% of full-service casual restaurants in D.C. [to] close by the end of 2025.”
At Spark Social House (2009 14th St NW), D.C.’s first nonalcoholic LGBTQ bar, the management team is rethinking not just what goes in the glass, but how staff are paid behind the bar. They opened in March of 2025, with Initiative 82 affecting how they pay their tipped staff.
“We actually started out paying minimum wage at $17.50 and then found that that was not actually sustainable,” owner Nick Tsusaki explained. “We had a group staff meeting, and decided to do $12 an hour for our hourlies, and then more for our managers on duty. We don’t have bar backs or any roles like that, so everybody just kind of makes the same amount.”
Rather than follow the traditional tipped wage system, Spark implemented a more collective structure designed to promote equity, while still allowing for the business to financially work.
“We’re just focused on ourselves. The way that our tips work is we pool tips over a two-week pay period, and then portion those out evenly based on the number of hours that you’ve worked in that two-week window,” Tsusaki said.
One key aspect of this step toward equity in tipped roles is their standard automatic gratuity charge.
“For us, it felt like the fairest way to distribute the tips was to do the 20% autogratuity to make it more equitable,” he said. “I went from bar back to business owner within the past two years so I’ve been in each of these positions. When I was looking to open Spark, I tried to think of how we could reimagine the payment system within the confines of what is possible as a business. And that’s what we came up with to try to make things feel more equally distributed.”
But for Tsusaki, Spark is about much more than margins and payroll — it’s about building community and offering something that goes beyond the drink itself.
“What I want people to understand is that what you’re paying for is not what’s in your cup – you are not paying for the actual value of this cup of coffee. We know that you can make that at home for free, basically. You are paying your portion of the rent, the utilities, the labor costs, insurance– all of these other costs that go into creating one of the 20 plus LGBTQ spaces in the city. I understand being frustrated about prices or tipping, but it’s more about understanding the larger business.”
Ultimately, that sense of building a space — with a dedicated mission inherently in its pay structure to provide for its staff members rather than an arbitrary sales quota goal — is another factor that distinguishes Spark.
“I think what we value, and understand is that what we have here is not just the best coffee, which we do, but it’s that we have this space that is so unique and versatile to host different groups and events. It feels really safe to people from all parts of the LGBTQ community – that is what our ‘product’ is, more than anything.”
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who initially opposed Initiative 82 in 2022, proposed a full repeal of the law in her 2026 budget, which was passed in May. Bowser cited multiple reasons for backing a repeal — echoing RAMW’s concerns over rising costs for restaurants, increased closures, and job losses.
The Washington Blade reached out to D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson prior to the vote to determine the fate of Initiative 82. His message was clear — he’s siding with the vote count.
“If the votes are there to repeal the initiative, I will leave it in,” Mendelson told the Blade. “If the votes are not there, I will take it out.”
The votes weren’t there, leading to a repeal of the repeal — and a slightly higher paycheck for tipped wage workers in the District.
District of Columbia
‘Queer Love’ campaign launched to address domestic violence
D.C. event set for LGBTQ+ Domestic Violence Awareness Day on May 28
The D.C.-based Wanda Alston Foundation, which provides housing and support services for homeless LGBTQ youth, announced earlier this month that it has joined partner organizations to launch a Queer Love Shouldn’t Hurt campaign aimed at addressing domestic violence within the LGBTQ community.
In a May 18 statement, the Alston Foundation said the campaign involves a public awareness initiative leading up to LGBTQ+ Domestic Violence Awareness Day scheduled for May 28.
“Domestic and family violence in LGBTQ+ communities is real and too often invisible,” Cesar Toledo, the Alston Foundation’s executive director, said in the statement. “As a community, we do not talk about it enough, and that silence can leave survivors feeling isolated and alone,” he said. “We must break that silence.”
He added that culturally competent care for those impacted by domestic violence is available through a newly launched website, queerlove.org, “where people can safely access vital resources, educational toolkits, and support networks they need on their healing journey.”
The website announces one of the project’s first events, a Queer Love Community Social, was scheduled for Thursday, May 28, from 6-8 p.m. at the D.C. LGBTQ+ Community Center at 1827 Wiltberger St., N.W.
“Join us this LGBT+ Domestic Violence Awareness Day for a community social dedicated to visibility and survivor resilience,” the website statement says. “Let’s gather to strengthen our bonds, honor the path to healing, and share free resources,” it says of the May 28 event.
The website also announces a June 1 workshop called Empowering Survivors of LGBTQ+ Intimate Partner Violence, which it says will be presented by Jesse Wedell, an official with the D.C. LGBT+ Counseling Collaborative. The website provides an online form to register for the workshop upon which its location would be disclosed.
It identifies the partner organizations working with the Alston Foundation on the Queer Love Public Awareness Campaign as the LGBT+ Counseling Collaborative, Whitman-Walker Health, the D.C. LGBTQ+ Community Center, and Equality Chamber.
The resources and information provided by the project can be accessed at www.queerlove.org.
District of Columbia
Man accused of threatening to shoot D.C. bar employee after making anti-gay slurs
May 24 incident took place near Black Pride events on U Street
D.C. police on Sunday, May 24, at around 4:20 p.m. arrested a Maryland man for allegedly threatening to shoot an employee while using anti-gay slurs at Ben’s Next Door restaurant and bar at 1211 U St., N.W.
According to a statement released by police and a police incident report, the arrested man, identified as Delonte Fraley, 32, of Accokeek, Md., made the threats after the employee told a bartender not to serve the man alcohol.
“The suspect overheard the employee and threatened to shoot the employee and used homophobic slurs against the employee,” the police statement says. “When the employee left the restaurant for the day, the suspect was standing near the employee’s vehicle,” it says.
“The employee returned to the restaurant and called the police,” the statement continues. “The suspect was apprehended by responding officers,” it says.
The police statement says the arresting officers charged Fraley with Felony Threats (Hate/Bias).
D.C. Superior Court records show prosecutors with the Office of the U.S. Attorney for D.C., which prosecutes D.C. criminal cases, escalated the charge to Threatening to Injure or Kidnap a Person (Bias-Related Hate Crime).
The incident occurred during Memorial Day weekend when thousands of visitors and D.C. area LGBTQ advocates and supporters were attending D.C. Black Pride events held in locations across the city, including Black Pride parties hosted by LGBTQ bars in the U Street entertainment area near Ben’s Next Door.
Among the nearby LGBTQ bars hosting D.C. Black Pride events were Nellie’s Sports Bar and Thurst Lounge. Ben’s Next Door is located next to the popular longtime U Street eatery Ben’s Chili Bowl.
Court records show that Judge Robert R. Rigsby at a May 25 presentment hearing released Fraley on personal recognizance with a stay-away order — the details of which were not publicly disclosed pending a June 4 preliminary hearing.
A more detailed arrest affidavit filed in court by D.C. police says Fraley allegedly confronted the employee at Ben’s Next Door with anti-gay slurs on the day prior to his arrest.
“The complainant told the defendant that because he used homophobic slurs towards himself previously on May 23, 2026, and his hostess, as well as making threats to the complainant and calling him a faggot, he was unable to stay in the establishment,” the affidavit states.
It adds, “The defendant became irate stating, ‘I know where your Tesla is at. See me outside faggot, I will slap your ass’ and ‘I will shoot your ass.’” The affidavit says the complainant confirmed to police the Tesla referred to by Fraley was his vehicle. It says as the victim walked toward his car after getting off work, he saw Fraley standing directly in front of the car.
“The complainant stated he felt unsafe while the defendant was standing in front of his vehicle because he felt the defendant was capable of carrying out those threats,” says the affidavit. It says the victim then decided to return to the restaurant and call police without the defendant having seen him.
“The defendant was placed under arrest for Felony Threats Hate/Bias and was transported to the Third District Station for processing,” the affidavit concludes.
It couldn’t immediately be determined whether the victim identifies as LGBTQ or whether any of the Ben’s Next Door patrons had been involved with D.C. Black Pride.
“Established in 2008, Ben’s Next Door is a family-owned and operated restaurant and bar on U Street, Northwest in Washington, D.C.,” a statement on its website says. “As a Black-owned establishment, it’s our goal to deliver a warm, welcoming, familiar, and communal vibe to all guests,” the statement says.
District of Columbia
Doc on Blade reporter Chibbaro scores Emmy nomination
‘Lou’s Legacy’ chronicles 50-year career
“Lou’s Legacy: A Reporter’s Life at the Washington Blade” has been nominated for a Capital Emmy in the “Documentary – Historical” category by the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
“Our members include all of the video content producers who serve our local audiences in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia—from the Atlantic to the Appalachians, from Bristol to Baltimore,” said Capitol Emmys President Adam Longo in a press release.
Broadcast last June by WETA PBS in Washington, D.C. and MPT in Maryland, the documentary was directed and produced by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Patrick Sammon in association with the Mattachine Society of Washington, D.C. Additional nominees who worked on the film include producer Julianne Donofrio and editor Amir Jaffer.
“Lou’s Legacy” tells the story of two D.C. icons — legendary Washington Blade reporter Lou Chibbaro Jr. and beloved drag performer Donnell Robinson, known to generations of Washington audiences as “Ella Fitzgerald.” Through Chibbaro’s nearly five-decade career at the Blade and Ella’s return to the stage after a three-year hiatus following COVID, the 29-minute documentary explores the history of Washington’s LGBTQ community and today’s rising backlash against LGBTQ rights, including laws targeting drag performers.
“We’re honored that Lou’s Legacy has been recognized alongside such an impressive group of historical documentaries,” said Sammon. “This nomination is especially meaningful because the film preserves and celebrates the stories of people who helped shape queer history in Washington, DC — often without recognition from mainstream institutions. We’re deeply grateful to the Mattachine Society, Lou Chibbaro Jr., Donnell Robinson, WETA PBS, and everyone who helped bring this project to life.”
“Lou’s Legacy” premiered on WETA PBS in June 2025 during Pride month. The documentary also broadcast on Maryland Public Television and is streaming nationally on PBS.org. WETA will rebroadcast “Lou’s Legacy” several times during Pride month, including June 15 th at 9 p.m. Winners of the Capital Emmy Awards will be announced at the Capital Emmy Gala on June 20 at the Bethesda Marriott Hotel.
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